Item: Glasgow Blend Single Cask
Rating: 4
Author: Josh Peters

SCWC Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Cask Review

The SCWC has been on a roll with our single cask picks and the latest is this Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Cask. If you’re an observant person you might be wondering how you get a single cask of a massive blend. Well, you don’t. You get a single marrying cask of a massive blend; […]

The post SCWC Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Cask Review appeared first on The Whiskey Jug.

Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Cask Review

The concept is the exact same as when you see a store pick of High West American Prairie Bourbon and it’s been finished in an Armagnac cask or something. You’re buying that single finishing cask, but with Compass Box they call it a Marrying Cask and the cask we picked was a lowland grain whiskey cask (Cameronbridge).

We wanted to jump away from the typical sherry and wine finishes and get something different and interesting, and we succeeded. Though different doesn’t always mean tasty and sometimes the samples you get taste different when bottled. Sometimes better, sometimes worse and sometimes just… different. It’s just part of the game.

Now, let’s get to drinkin’ and see if this turned out better, worse, different or as expected.

Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Cask – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Style: Blended Scotch
Region: Scotland
Blender: Compass Box

Blend: 34% Grain (Cameron Bridge) & 66% Malt (35% Benrinnes, 17% Laphroaig, 8% Clynelish, 2% Miltonduff, 4% Highland Malt (60% Clynelish, 20% Dailuaine, 20% Teaninich))
Cask: ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry, Rejuvenated Hogshead, French Oak Hybrid, ex-Cameronbridge (grain whisky finish – 1 year, 3 months, 6 days)
Age: NAS
ABV: 49%

Batch: SCWC #1

SCWC Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Cask Price: $55

White background tasting shot with the SCWC Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Cask bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it. — “This lovely barrel of Glasgow Blend was selected by the Southern California Whisky Club. It consists of the classic Glasgow blend finished in an old single grain barrel, specifically one used to age the Cameronbridge grain.” – K&L

SCWC Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Cask Tasting Notes

EYE
Nutty gold

NOSE
Smoky char, toasted marshmallows, caramel, cinnamon, hazelnuts, malt and a touch of menthol and coconut.

Lovely lively aroma with a hint of darkness to it.

PALATE
Smoky char, toasted marshmallows, caramel, roasted nuts, toasted coconut, dried orchard fruit, cocoa and some menthol.

That hint of darkness grows on the palate making it a more brooding whisky.

FINISH
Long -> Smoke, oak, butterscotch, toasted coconut and brown sugar fade out evenly

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Well balanced, medium-full body and a warm velvety feel.

SCWC Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Cask – Overall Thoughts and Score

It’s a struggle to not open this every day after work. It’s warm, tasty and absurdly easy to sip on. It’s layered with great aromas and flavors and the light peat is just enough to keep the smoke fiend in me happy.

I’ve been a long-time fan of Compass Box, and the Glasgow Blend has been a go-to for me for a long time, but I have to say. The addition of the 1 yr 3 months and change in an ex-Cameronbridge cask has added more depth to the SCWC Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Cask and it turned out even better than expected.

SCORE: 4/5 (good, definitely recommend ~ B+ | 87-89)

Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Cask Label

Compass Box Glasgow Blend Single Cask Review $55

Summary

This is one of the casks I didn’t help pick, so I can unbiasedly say this is a great whisky… which is why I picked up 3 bottles!

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SCWC + Malt Nuts: Milk and Honey Tasting (Super Vertical)

Over the course of two nights, the Malt Nuts and the SCWC joined forces with the Milk and Honey distillery to taste through a massive chunk of what they’ve released to-date. There are some indies, early releases and small releases we didn’t have, but on the whole, we covered a large chunk of what’s been […]

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SCWC and Malt Nuts Milk and Honey - 1

If you’re not familiar with Milk & Honey, I’ll give you the two-second rundown: it’s Israel’s first, and only, whisky distillery. They focus on single malts done according to the Scottish tradition and was one of the late Dr. Jim Swan’s last projects. Everything from the lower barrel entry proof to the use of STR casks to young whisky tasting fantastic have his fingerprints all over it. This was a Jim Swan project to the T.

Everything M&H releases is roughly between 4-5 years old, with some being as young as 3, but they taste more mature due to the hot climate the barrels mature in. Everything I just mentioned is why this tasting was so interesting to us. Both groups, which have a heavy overlap, wanted to deep dive into another Swan project, see how it turned out and how the climate interacted with the wood and the spirit.

The first night was the SCWC, the second was the Malt Nuts. The photos and notes are a mix of the two nights. And with that, let’s dig in!

SCWC and Malt Nuts Milk and Honey - 4

Milk & Honey Classic: 46% – ex-Bourbon, Red Wine STR

Nose: Fruity, honied malt, graham and cocoa.
Palate: Caramel sweet, malt, fruit and slight candy sweetness.
Finish: Medium -> Soft, sweet, fruity and malty.
Overall: (2.5 / 5) Not bad, in fact it’s kinda tasty. It’s light, not super complex, but nothing wrong with it.

Milk & Honey Elements – Red Wine Cask: 46% – ex-Bourbon, ex-Red Wine

Nose: Fruity, malty, graham, frosting, fresh pastry.
Palate: Sweet wine, pastry, malty, dried fruit and a tad tannic.
Finish: Medium -> Soft and fruity pastry.
Overall: (3 / 5) Nice. Warm and fruity with a solid maltiness and a touch of wine sweetness.

SCWC and Malt Nuts Milk and Honey - 5

Milk & Honey Elements – Sherry Cask: 46% – ex-Bourbon, ex-PX, ex-Oloroso

Nose: Honied fruit, graham, cocoa, malty sweetness, leather and citrus, a bit nutty.
Palate: Dried fruit, honey graham, strawberry shortcake, leather and Tootsie rolls.
Finish: Medium -> Dried strawberries and graham.
Overall: (3 / 5) Also nice. Sweet, easy and fun. I’d drink this again no problem.

Milk & Honey Elements – Peated: 46% – ex-Bourbon, ex-Islay

Nose: Apples, honied graham and touches of smoke and mustiness with a spirity essence
Palate: Apples, honied graham, vanilla and touches of smoke and mustiness and a bit spirity overall.
Finish: Medium -> Smoke and mint.
Overall: (2 / 5) A combination of peated and un-peated whisky aged in an ex-islay cask resulted in very little peat, but a spirity sip.

SCWC and Malt Nuts Milk and Honey - 6

Milk & Honey #1 Dad 3 Years (18-21): 55% – ex-Bourbon

Nose: Banana Quik, malt, fruit, char and caramel.
Palate: Toffee, olde candy, dates, dried fruit and bananas.
Finish: Medium -> Spice, char and fruit with a touch of oak.
Overall: (3.5 / 5) Wow… this one really stands out. I like it. Warm and tasty, it’s one I grabbed another pour of at the end of the night.

Milk & Honey Apex – Fort. Red Wine Casks 4 Years (17-21): 60.4% – ex-Fortified Red Wine

Nose: Grapey sweet, vanilla, caramel, copper and spice with a touch of “trail mix”.
Palate: Metallic and malty with an unintegrated wine taste and some spice and “trail mix”
Finish: Medium -> Metal and malt with a touch of grapey sweetness.
Overall: (2 / 5) Not liking, but not hating either… I want more of that #1 Dad.

Impex Collection Milk & Honey 3 Years (17-20): 58.9% – ex-Bourbon, ex-PX

Nose: Citrus, malt, fruit, PX sweetness, honey and nuts.
Palate: Citrus, malt, olde candy, fruit, PX sweetness, copper, honey and nuts.
Finish: Long -> Sweet, malty and fruity.
Overall: (3.5 / 5) Damn, this is nice. Rich, sweet and fruity with a light malty earthy kick.

Milk & Honey New Make: 50%

Nose: Minerally spirit with a slight bit of fruit and vanilla.
Palate: Minerally spirit with a slight bit of fruit and vanilla.
Finish: Short -> Minerally spirit with a slight bit of fruit and vanilla.
Overall: (NA / 5) Clean, warm and really a nice spirit. When I mentioned “spirity” in the Peated, this is what was showing through and not well integrating with the oak. On its own it’s not terrible, but not something I’d actively reach for either.

SCWC and Malt Nuts Milk and Honey - 3

Milk & Honey Whisky In Bloom Lightly Peated: 46% – STR, ex-Bourbon, ex-Islay

Nose: Spirity banana pudding with a bit of caramel.
Palate: Spirity banana pudding with a bit of caramel.
Finish: Short -> Spirity banana pudding with a bit of caramel.
Overall: (1.5 / 5) It was fun to see where the whisky started (before they called it whisky) and see how it tastes at a younger age.

Milk & Honey Apex – Dead Sea 3 years (18-21): 56.2% – ex-Bourbon

Nose: Butterscotch, honey, char, earth, oak and vanilla with touches of dried fruit.
Palate: Butterscotch, malt, honey, char, earth, oak and vanilla fondant with touches of dried fruit.
Finish: Medium-long -> Toffee and fruit with a bit of oak.
Overall: (3.5 / 5) Another super interesting and fun cask that showed how changing the location of a whisky can make big shifts in the end profile.

SCWC and Malt Nuts Milk and Honey - 2

Single Cask Nation Milk & Honey 3 Years: 59.3%

Nose: Banana cream pie, oat, char, milk chocolate and dried fruit.
Palate: Banana cream pie, oat, baking spice, char, milk chocolate and dried fruit with an herbal touch.
Finish: Medium-long -> Malty, oaky and a bit citrusy with some baking spice.
Overall: (3 / 5) As it opens a slight nuttiness shows up, but in all, it stays very nice.

Milk & Honey Apex – Pomegranate Wine Cask 3 Years (17-20): 60.3% – ex-Pomegranate Wine

Nose: FRUITY, some sweet pastry notes, candy and some maltiness with a bit of baking spice.
Palate: FRUITY, sweet pastry, old candy, char, honey graham and maltiness with a touch of spice.
Finish: Medium-long -> Dried dark fruit with some honey graham.
Overall: (3.5 / 5) It’s almost juicy with the way the fruitiness is delivered. Unique and tasty.

SCWC and Malt Nuts Milk and Honey - 8

Milk & Honey Cognac Cask 3 Years (17-21): 58.8% – ex-Cognac

Nose: Grapey, leathery, fruity, malty and nutty with light notes of cocoa, vanilla pod, baking spice and bubblegum.
Palate: BAKING SPICE! Grapey sweetness, leather, nuts, dried fruit, cocoa, and some oak.
Finish: Medium-Long -> Baking spice (clove and cinnamon heavy), orange peels, and a bit of vanilla and oak.
Overall: (3.5 / 5) I debated giving it a 4 (consider it a 3.75), but this is something else. Without a doubt, it’s my favorite thing they’ve done and it perfectly balances everything that ‘s going on in the glass.

There were some duds, there were some tasty whiskies and there was a lot in between. But the most important thing to note is that it was all educational. Both nights were a blast and we now have a better understanding of what kind of whisky Isreal is pumping out right now, and I hope you do too.

Cheers!

SCWC and Malt Nuts Milk and Honey - 11

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SCWC: Dingle Irish Whiskey Tasting

The SCWC gathered for a very special night with a very special distillery: Dingle. Dingle was the first craft distillery in Ireland and right from the beginning, they wanted to do everything with an eye toward tradition. Resurrecting long-forgotten recipes, using only pot stills, making pot-still whiskey, you name it, they’re into it. And it […]

The post SCWC: Dingle Irish Whiskey Tasting appeared first on The Whiskey Jug.

SCWC - Dingle - 1

Our generous guide, Dave, kicked off the tasting portion by saying something that instantly made me smile. It’s something I’ve been saying for years and rings so true, you can’t believe anyone would ever think otherwise… but it happens. “If you don’t start with quality in, you won’t get quality out. The best casks can’t fix bad spirit. And this is where we started: the Dingle New Make.

Dingle New Make: 65%

Nose: Buttery grain, minerality, overripe apricots and a touch of grape-like sweetness.
Palate: Buttery grain, minerality, overripe apricots and a touch of grape-like sweetness.
Finish: Med -> Buttery grain, bright fruity sweetness and grape-nuts.
Overall: This is fantastic. It’s a bright, fruity and flavorful new make – a fantastic start.

To say the night started off with a bang is an understatement, but it’s without a doubt the best way to start any vertical tasting. Once you know what the new make tastes like, it’s easier to identify what flavors are spirit-born and which are cask-derived.

From there we jumped directly into a tasting style that’s a lot of fun and highly educational: the deconstruction. Our target for the breakdown this evening was the Dingle Core Release.

SCWC - Dingle - 3

Dingle Single Malt, ex-Bourbon: 46.3%

Nose: Banana cream pie, vanilla frosting, malt, spice and toffee with some apricot.
Palate: Banana-lead fruit, malt, caramel, spice, apricot and oak.
Finish: Med -> Oak, banana-lead fruit and malt.
Overall: (3/5) This is lovely. It’s a bright, warm and fruity malt with a solid delivery.

Dingle Single Malt, ex-PX: 46.3%

Nose: Malt, oak, black tea, spiced figs, roasted nuts and vanilla cake.
Palate: Malt, roasted nuts, oak, tea, spiced figs, copper and vanilla cake.
Finish: Med-long -> Roasted nuts, malt and spice.
Overall: (3/5) This is nice. A warm fruity profile paired with an earthy dryness.

Dingle Single Malt Core Release: 46.3%

Nose: Buttery toffee, Grape-nuts, spiced figs, banana-lead dried fruit, malty sweetness and vanilla cake.
Palate: Buttery malt and toffee, baking spice, dates, banana-lead dried fruit, vanilla cake and apricot.
Finish: Med-long -> Banana-lead dried fruit, vanilla cake and toffee fade out minerally.
Overall: (3/5) The sum of the parts (ex-Bourbon + ex-PX) isn’t better than the parts themselves, but different, fun and enjoyable.

The final mix to create the core release is 69% ex-PX and 31% ex-Bourbon. And speaking of casks, they only use 1st-fill casks. They have some used casks they’re holding for future projects but by and large they ship out their 2nd fill casks to others and only use first-fill.

The ex-bourbon casks overwhelmingly come from Beam-Suntory with the bulk of them being Basil Hayden/Old Grand-Dad casks. Some are regular JB, some are Maker’s Mark and some come from Jack Daniels, but the majority are Jim Beam’s high-rye ex-Bourbon casks. This is an interesting route to pick, I’ve never come across that till now.

The PX casks come from Fernando De Castillo, which might sound familiar if you’re a Bruichladdich fan because that’s who they get all of their sherry casks from as well. To top it off, the malt is 100% Irish.

The majority of the Core Release is made from barrels aged 5.5 – 7.5 years but will continue to get older, deeper and more mature year-over-year as they employ a Solera-style system for the release. They have a massive wooden tun the whiskey sits in and for each run they dump 10,000 bottles worth and then top it off and let it marry, mature and mellow till they pull the next run.

The Dingle Core Release alone is a crowning achievement for most distilleries, but most distilleries aren’t Irish distilleries. There’s only 40 of them on the Island, which is a huge increase from just 3 not too long ago. But a modern Irish distillery isn’t really an Irish distillery if it isn’t making a Single Pot Still, and that was our next stop.

SCWC - Dingle - 2

Dingle Single Pot Still Shiraz Finish: 62.5%

Nose: Juicy dark fruit, nuts, leather, Tootsie Rolls, vanilla frosting, anise and citrus peels.
Palate: Juicy dark fruit, anise, leather, Tootsie Rolls, vanilla frosting, nuts and citrus peels with a touch of that “sweaty” unintegrated wine note.
Finish: Long -> Juicy dark fruit, leather, nuts and that “sweaty” unintegrated wine note.
Overall: (4.5/5) Yum. This is just freaking awesome. Oily, fruity and lovely malty goodness.

This Dingle SPS was one hell of a tease. It’s not available anywhere and was something we got to try as a one-off for our club. That’s right, the SCWC are the only folks outside of Dingle who have had this whiskey and I have to say… I love and hate them for it.

I want… need, a bottle of this. It’s unique and incredible. If you ever see one in the future don’t hesitate. It’s a killer whiskey.

From there we circled back to another of their regular releases, though not one that’s easy to find, at least not anymore. Batch 5 is what’s out in the market now, but we got a treat in trying this previously released Batch 3.

SCWC - Dingle - 4

Dingle Single Malt Batch 3: 46.5% – ex-Bourbon (70-80%) + ex-Port (30-20%)

Nose: Buttery malt, banana-lead dried fruit, grapey sweetness, vanilla cake and some port sweetness.
Palate: Buttery malt, banana-lead dried fruit, grapey sweetness, vanilla cake and some port sweetness and cinnamon-heavy spice.
Finish: Med-long -> Buttery malt, port sweetness and spice.
Overall: (4/5) Velvety and sweet with a nice malty base. So good.

Damn. When port is done right it can be incredible. This was an insanely fun and educational night of Irish whiskey. Huge thanks to Dave, Michael, Jon and Cathy for making this happen. I hope you enjoyed this quick tour of Dingle.

Till next time, cheers!